Toy



L. CHESKIN Aug. 28, 1956 TOY Filed Oct. 26, 1953 Inventor' Lows CHEsKm' United States Patent 'O ice 2,760,302 Patented Aug. 28, 1956 3 Claims. (Cl. 46-1) The present invention relates to improvements in toys.

More particularly the vinvention is concerned with the novel construction and assembly of a plurality of cutout figures or congurated pieces of resiliently expansible sheet material normally held deformed and tightly compressed within a tubular container from which they may be ejected readily onto, for example, the surface of a body of water, soas to assume their natural configuration. Specifically, it is proposed to make the congurated pieces from foam or sponge rubber or plastic sheet material, or rubber sheeting, of various colors. Thin sheet material is used. Consequently, each congurated piece can be compressed tightly so as to occupy but a minimum amount of space and thus allow a considerable number of pieces of different colors or like colors to be placed within a single container. When a transparent container is used, the color effect can be made very pleasing and attractive.

it is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a novel inexpensively constructed childs toy.

Another object is to provide, within a single container, a plurality of closely packed, differently contoured pieces of resiliently expansible sheet material, which pieces may be ejected therefrom easily and quickly.

Anoler object is to provide a toy of the character described with novel means to facilitate ejection of one or all of the configurated pieces packed Within the container.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, l have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the assembled toy.

Fig. 2 is a view of the partially closed end of the toy assembly.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the assembly shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the toy illustrating one means which may be employed to eject or otherwise remove the resiliently expansible pieces from the container and onto a body of Water.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings, the toy includes a tubular container 11 which preferably is cylindrical in shape and made of transparent material so as to afford full visibility of the contents thereof. One end 12 of the container is open. The other container end is provided with an internal flange 13 defining an axial opening 14; the purpose of which will become understood as the description proceeds. It might be observed at this time that the opening 14 may be provided in a manner other than shown and that it need not necessarily be located on the axis of the container.

The container 11 is adapted to contain a plurality of ejectable pieces of resiliently expansible material. These pieces are cut to a conflgurated outline, such as is indicated at 15 in Fig. 4. It will be observed that the pieces 15 are fabricated from thin sheet material such as foam or sponge rubber or synthetic plastics so as to be very porous and capable ofabsorbing liquid. If desired the congurated pieces can be made from non-absorbent rubber. The pieces 15 are suitably folded or compressed and packed into the container 11 as illustrated, there preferably being 4 to 8 pieces in each container. A plug 16 fabricated of the same material or other material is inserted in the open end 12 of the container much in the manner of a cork so as to hold the pieces compressed tightly in place. The pieces 15 may be of a uniform coloration or, preferably, the pieces are of various colors so as to represent a multi-color toy when assembled in the manner illustrated in Fig. l.

The toy is adapted to be used in a number of ways; one of which is illustrated in Fig. 4. As there shown, one or more conflgurated pieces 15 are ejected from the container 11 onto a body of water 17. When fabricated from spongy material, each piece will, upon striking the body of water, absorb a sufficient quantity thereof to become extremely pliable and thereby assume its natural configuration. It should be quite apparent that the pieces 15 whether fabricated from spongy material or from sheet rubber or rubber synthetic may be ejected upon any flat surface and when this is done, the pieces will open up and lie at thereon and assume their natural configuration. It is, however, preferred that resiliently expansible Water absorbent material be used so that the toy is particularly attractive as an amusement device for children while bathing,

The pieces 15 may be manually withdrawn from the container 11, one by one, or they may be successively ejected by the employment of a tool such as a stick 18 shown in Fig. 4. The stick 18 may, of course, be a pencil or any suitable rod having a diameter which will permit its insertion lengthwise through the hole 14, In order to eject the pieces by use of the tool 1S, said tool is inserted through the hole 14 and, While the container is held in one hand, the tool is pushed into the container with sufiicient force to successively eject the articles 15 therefrom.

The inherent resiliency of the resiliently expansible pieces 15 normally tends to retain them in place in the container owing to their natural tendency to expand and bind against the container wall. After all or some of the pieces 15 have been withdrawn or ejected from the container 11 they may be repacked therein very easily by the user. It is only necessary to gather each piece together in a compact form and push it into the container through the open end 12 after which the plug 16 may be inserted. Obviously, the plug 16 is not essential to the retention of the pieces 15 but its use is desired to impart finish to the toy as a Whole and to make it more attractive to prospective purchasers.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A toy comprising at pieces of resiliently compressible sponge-like material coniigurated in the form of animate objects, a tubular container open at one end and having an internal flange at its other end defining an arial opening, said pieces of material being deformed and compressed tightly within the container, one over the other throughout its length, and means insertable through `said opening for engaging the innermost piece and pushing all of said pieces to successively eject said pieces through the open end of the container.

2. A toy comprising iiat pieces of resiliently compressible sponge-like material conigurated in the form of animate objects, a tubular container open at one end and having an internal flange at its other end defining an aXial opening, said pieces of material being deformed and compressed tightly within the container, one over the other throughout its length, each of said pieces pressing outwardly against the interior wall surface of the container to resist displacement, and means insertable through said opening for engaging the innermost piece and pushing all of said pieces to successively eject said pieces through the open end of the container.

3. A toy comprising a tubular container open on at least one end and a plurality of at pieces of resiliently compressible material coniigurated in the form of animate objects, said pieces of material being deformed and compressed tightly within the container one over the other throughout its length, the pieces pressing outwardly against the interior wall surface of the container to resist displacement, and means for ejecting all of said pieces through the open end of the container.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 275,282 Stanton et al Apr. 3, 1883 406,652 Kinney July 9, 1889 1,973,903 King Sept. 18, 1934 2,057,122 Trevellyan Oct. 13, 1936 2,166,619 Becker Iuly 18, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 389,223 Germany Feb. 2, 1924 598,607 Germany lune 14, 1934 

